Living in the forest Essay

Although the majority of people in the Amazon live in the cities and towns, there are still many indigenous groups living in the forest, some who have no contact with the ‘outside’ world and live in a harmonic environment. Rainforests are the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, as well as being the home to an estimated 50 million indigenous forest people. These people depend on the rainforest for their way of life. It provides them nearly everything from shelter and food to tools and medicine. The people living in the forest make practical and sustainable use of the forest. It also plays an important role in their spiritual and cultural life. Other than hunting, gathering wild fruits and nuts and fishing, each family usually has two gardens. One is a small house garden which consists of a variety of plants and the second is a large plantation planted with bananas, manioc or rice. They use a sustainable farming method called shifting cultivation. First they clear a small area of land and burn it (slash and burn). Then they plant different types of plants, to be used for food and medicines. After a few years, the soil has become too poor to allow for more crops to grow and weeds start to take over. They then move to a nearby un-cleared area. This land is traditionally allowed to re-grow for 10-50 years before it is farmed again. Shifting cultivation is still practiced by those indigenous groups who have access to a large amount of land. However, with the growing number of non-indigenous farmers and the shrinking rainforest, other groups, especially in Indonesia and Africa, are now forced to remain in one area. The land becomes a wasteland after a few years of overuse, and cannot be used for future agriculture. Indigenous people respect the forest that, until the present, has protected them from outsiders and given them everything they need. They live in a sustainable existence. This means that they use the land without harming the plants and animals that also call the rainforest their home. Indigenous people get all their resources primarily from the forest. Other than their food they get their clothing, tools, medicines and shelter form there. This is part of their culture and way of life, as their ancestors also lived in this way. Children do not go to school however they learn about the forest through their parents and other members of the community. They are taught how to survive in the forest. This usually includes how to hunt and fish. They are also taught which plants are useful as medicines or food. Some of these children know more about the rainforests than scientists who have been studying rainforests for many years. There are many different groups. But one example is the ‘Maku’ group. A daily life of someone in the ‘Maku’ village: The women wake up at sunrise and prepare the men’s breakfast. Each meal is communal and is eaten at the leader’s house. After the men have eaten breakfast they depart either alone or in pair’s depending on what prey they saw the day before. After they have left the women and children eat and soon after go to the swiddens to harvest and replant manioc. They return around midday and prepare manioc flour, bread and porridges. At about three in the afternoon the men return with what they have caught and hand it over to their wives. Each woman cooks at her own fireplace but the meal is communal and held in the leaders house. The men eat first and then the women and children. After this three or four meals follow until they sleep, this is at around 9p.m. Indigenous people have a very strong culture and still practice it. One of the rituals are when a young boy or girl go into adulthood the hair on their head is plucked out by other people. Even though they are given a medicine to make them unconscious it is still very painful. Anybody can take part in this ritual. Each group has the same basic believes but then differs when it comes to rituals and culture. In the ‘Karaja’ group the role of men and women are very important. The men are responsible for defending the territory, clearing swiddens, domestic and collective fishing trips and formalized discussions in the men’s plaza. Women are responsible for the education of the children until the age of initiation for the boys but permanently  responsible for the girls. They also do the domestic tasks such as cooking, collecting swiddens products and arranging the marriage of the children (usually done by the grandmothers) and also the painting and decoration of the children during rituals and the manufacture of ceramic dolls. When a baby is born the baby is washed with warm water and it face is painted with red dye. During the infancy the baby spends most of its time with its mother or grandmothers. However when a boy reaches the age of seven or eight his lower lip is pierced. When he reaches the age of ten to twelve years- the boy takes part in a large male ritual called Big House or Hetohoky. The boys are painted with blue/black genipap and remain confined for seven days in a ritual house called the Big House. The hair is cut off and the boy is called giant river otter or jyre. During the first menstrual period of a girl, the maternal grandmother looks after her and she is confined in isolation. Her public re-appearance is when she is elaborately decorated with painted body designs and feather adornments in order to dance with the Aruanas. This is highly rated by the men. The marriage is ideally arranged by the grandmother-preferably from the same village. Once married the couple life at the girls mothers house. When the family number becomes numerous the couple makes their own house. They also have many myths. For example the ‘Canela’ believe that the origin of fire and corn came about like this: a boy brought fire for his people by stealing it from the hearth of a female jaguar. Star woman fell in love with a Canela and so came down to live for awhile among his family members. During her stay she told them that corn would grow fin the forest and she taught them that it was good to eat. This is the origin of the gardens. She then returned to the sky with her mate and they transformed into twin starts which we know as Castor and Pollux. These are just one of the myths which have now become the background of these people. Nutrient cycling is an important part of the ecosystem. It is added into the ecosystems in many ways: Leaching- the nutrients are removed by the movement of the water. Harvesting- when the trees get harvested the nutrients they contained get removed. The amount of nutrients removes depends on how the harvesting is done. Atmosphere- nutrients contained in precipitation and dusts are deposited on the forest site. Weathering of parent material- the slow process of breaking down rock and mineral gets nutrients released in the soil. Due to human activity the life of these people are being altered. There are also a lot of environmental issues which affect the rainforest and the people living in it. This includes forest fires, diseases and landslides. The changes of environment are depending on the region and the climate. Due to all of this the lives are being changed and more recently in a major way. The cultures they had a long time ago are being lost. Before they lived depending on their surroundings and what they had and also they enjoyed it. But now they are slowly depending on tourists for some of their income and will most probably become completely dependant on tourists. Spear fishing- it is used when setting a net would be impractical, such as near trees. The spearhead is three pointed and barbed. A string is attached at the end of the spear so the fisherman can get the fish after a successful throw. Sugar cane pressers- sugar cane is grown primarily for the juice and then fermented to make a type of rum called ‘aguardiente’.

The Return: Midnight Chapter 22

â€Å"Ma ma said not in Fel ‘s Church,†Mrs. Flowers repeated to Stefan. â€Å"And that means not the thicket.† â€Å"All right,†Stefan said. â€Å"If he's not there, then where else?† â€Å"Well,†Elena said slowly, â€Å"it's the police, isn't it? They've caught him.†Her heart felt as if it were in her stomach. Mrs. Flowers sighed. â€Å"I suppose so. Ma ma should have told me that, but the atmosphere is ful of strange influences.† â€Å"But the sheriff's department is in Fel ‘s Church. What there is of it,†Elena objected. â€Å"Then,†Mrs. Flowers said, â€Å"what about the police in another city close by? The ones who came looking for him before – â€Å" â€Å"Ridgemont,†Elena said heavily. â€Å"That's where those police that searched the boardinghouse were from. That's where that Mossberg guy came from, Meredith said.†She looked at Meredith, who didn't even murmur. â€Å"That's where Caroline's dad has al his big-shot friends – and Tyler Smal wood's dad does too. They belong to al those no-women clubs with does too. They belong to al those no-women clubs with secret handshakes and stuff.† â€Å"And do we have anything like a plan for when we get there?†Stefan asked. â€Å"I have a sort of Plan A,†Elena admitted. â€Å"But I don't know that it wil work – you may know better than I do.† â€Å"Tell me.† Elena told him. Stefan listened and had to stifle a laugh. â€Å"I think,†he said soberly afterward, â€Å"that it just might work.† Elena immediately began to think about Plans B and C so that they wouldn't be stuck if Plan A should fail. They had to drive through Fel ‘s Church to get to Ridgemont. Elena saw the burnt-out houses and the blackened trees through tears. This was her town, the town which, as a spirit, she had watched over and protected. How could it have come to this? And, worse, how could it ever possibly be put back together again? Elena began to shiver uncontrol ably. Matt sat grimly in the jury conference room. He had explored it long ago, and had found that the windows were boarded over from the outside. He wasn't surprised, as al the windows he knew back in Fel ‘s Church were boarded up, and besides, he had tried these boards and knew that he could break out if he cared to. He didn't care to. It was time to face his personal crisis. He would have faced it back before Damon had taken the three girls to the Dark Dimension, but Meredith had talked him out of it. Matt knew that Mr. Forbes, Caroline's father, had al his cronies in the police and legal system here. And so did Mr. Smal wood, the father of the real culprit. They were unlikely to give him a fair trial. But in any kind of trial, at some point they would at least have to listen to him. And what they would hear was the plain truth. They might not believe it now. But later, when Caroline's twins had as little control as werewolf babies were reputed to have over their shapes – Well, then they'd think of Matt, and what he'd said. He was doing the right thing, he assured himself. Even if, right now, his insides felt as if they were made of lead. What's the worst they can do to me? he wondered, and was unhappy to hear the echo of Meredith's voice come back. â€Å"They can put you in jail, Matt. Real jail; you're over eighteen. And while that may be good news for some genuine, vicious, tough old felons with homemade tattoos and biceps like tree branches, it is not going to be good news for you.† And then after a session on the Internet, â€Å"Matt, in Virginia, it can be for life. And the minimum is five years. Matt, please; I beg you, don't let them do this to you! Sometimes it's true that discretion is the better part of valor. They hold all the cards and we're walking blindfolded in the dark†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She had gotten surprisingly worked up about it, mixing her metaphors and al , Matt thought dejectedly. But it's not exactly as if I volunteered for this. And I bet they know those boards are pretty flimsy and if I break out, I'l be chased from here to who-knows-where. And if I stay put at least I'l get to tel the truth. For a very long time nothing happened. Matt could tel from the sun through the cracks in the boards that it was afternoon. A man came in and offered a visit to the bathroom and a Coke. Matt accepted both, but also demanded an attorney and his phone cal . â€Å"You'l have an attorney,†the man grumbled at him as Matt came out of the bathroom. â€Å"One'l be appointed for you.† â€Å"I don't want that. I want a real attorney. One that I pick.† The man looked disgusted. â€Å"Kid like you can't have any money. You'l take the attorney appointed to you.† â€Å"My mom has money. She'd want me to have the attorney we hire, not some kid out of law school.† â€Å"Aw,†the man said, â€Å"how sweet. You want Mommy to take care of you. And her al the way out in Clydesdale by now, I bet, with the black lady doctor.† Matt froze. Shut back in the jury room he tried frantical y to think. How did they know where his mom and Dr. Alpert had gone? He tried the sound of â€Å"black lady doctor† on his tongue and found it tasted bad, sort of old-time-ish and just plain bad. If the doctor had been Caucasian and male, it would've sounded sil y to say â€Å"†¦gone with the white man doctor.† Sort of like an old Tarzan film. A great anger was rising in Matt. And along with it a great fear. Words slithered around his mind: surveillance and spying and conspiracy and cover-up. And outwitted. He guessed it was after five o'clock, after everybody who normal y worked at court had left, that they took him to the interrogation room. They were just playing, he figured, the two officers who tried to talk to him in a cramped little room with a video camera in one corner of the wal , perfectly obvious even though it was smal . They took turns, one yel ing at him that he might as well confess everything, the other acting sympathetic and saying things like, â€Å"Things just got out of hand, right? We have a picture of the hickey she gave you. She was hot stuff, right?†Wink, wink. â€Å"I understand. But then she started to give you mixed signals†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Matt reached his snapping point. â€Å"No, we were not on a date, no, she did not give me a hickey, and when I tel Mr. Forbes you cal ed Caroline hot stuff, winkey winkey, he's gonna get you fired, mister. And I've heard of mixed signals, but I've never seen them. I can hear ‘no'as well as you can, and I figure one ‘no'means ‘no'!† After that they beat him up a little bit. Matt was surprised, but considering the way he had just threatened and sassed them, not too surprised. And then they seemed to give up on him, leaving him alone in the interrogation room, which, unlike the jury room, had no windows. Matt said over and over, for the benefit of the video camera, â€Å"I'm innocent and I'm being denied my phone cal and my attorney. I'm innocent†¦Ã¢â‚¬  At last they came and got him. He was hustled between the good and bad cops into a completely empty courtroom. No, not empty, he realized. In the first row were a few reporters, one or two with sketchbooks ready. When Matt saw that, just like a real trial, and imagined the pictures they'd sketch – just like he'd seen on TV, the lead in his stomach turned into a fluttering feeling of panic. But this was what he wanted, wasn't it, to get the story out? He was led to an empty table. There was another table, with several well-dressed men, al with piles of papers in front of them. But the thing that held Matt's attention at that table was Caroline. He didn't recognize her at first. She was wearing a dove gray cotton dress. Gray! With no jewelry on at all, and subtle makeup. The only color was in her hair – a brazen auburn. It looked like her old hair, not the brindled color it had been when she was starting to become a werewolf. Had she learned to control her form at last? That was bad news. Very bad. And final y, with an air of walking on eggshel s, in came the jury. They had to know how irregular this was, but they kept coming in, just twelve of them, just enough to fil the jury seats. Matt suddenly realized that there was a judge sitting at the desk high above him. Had he been there al along? No†¦ â€Å"Al rise for Justice Thomas Hol oway,†boomed a bailiff. Matt stood and wondered if the trial was real y going to start without his lawyer. But before everyone could sit, there was a crash of opening doors, and a tal bundle of papers on legs hurried into the courtroom, became a woman in her early twenties, and dumped the papers on the table beside him. â€Å"Gwen Sawicki here – present,†the young woman gasped. Judge Hol oway's neck shot out like a tortoise's, to bring her into his realm of sight. â€Å"You have been appointed on behalf of the defense?† â€Å"If it pleases Your Honor, yes, Your Honor – al of thirty minutes ago. I had no idea we had gone to night sessions, Your Honor.† â€Å"Don't you be pert with me!†Judge Hol oway snapped. As he went on to al ow the prosecution attorneys to introduce themselves, Matt pondered on the word â€Å"pert.†It was another of those words, he thought, that was never used toward males. A pert man was a joke. While a pert girl or woman sounded just fine. But why? â€Å"Cal me Gwen,†a voice whispered beside him, and Matt looked to see a girl with brown eyes and brown hair back in a ponytail. She wasn't exactly pretty, but she looked honest and straightforward, which made her the prettiest thing in the room. â€Å"I'm Matt – Well, obviously,†Matt said. â€Å"Is this your girl, Carolyn?†Gwen was whispering, showing a picture of the old Caroline at some dance, wearing stilts, and with tanned legs that went up and up to almost meet before a miniskirt took over, black and lacy. She had on a white blouse so tight at the bust that it hardly seemed able to contain her natural assets. Her makeup was exactly the opposite of subtle. â€Å"Her name's Caroline and she's never been my girl, but that's her – the real her,†Matt whispered. â€Å"Before Klaus came and did something to her boyfriend, Tyler Smal wood. But I have to tel you what happened when she found out she was pregnant – â€Å" She'd gone nuts, was what had happened. No one knew where Tyler was – dead after the final fight against Klaus, turned into a ful wolf in hiding; whatever. So Caroline had tried to pin it on Matt – until Shinichi appeared and became her boyfriend. But Shinichi and Misao were playing a cruel joke on her, pretending that Shinichi would marry her. It was after she realized that Shinichi didn't care at allthat Caroline had gone total y bal istic, and had real y tried to make Matt fit the gaping hole in her life. Matt did his best to explain this to Gwen so she could explain it to the jury, until the judge's voice interrupted him. â€Å"We wil dispense with opening arguments,†said Judge Hol oway, â€Å"since the hour is so late. Wil the prosecution cal its first witness?† â€Å"Wait! Objection!†Matt shouted, ignoring Gwen's tugging at his arm and her hissing: â€Å"You can't object to the judge's rulings!† â€Å"And the judge can't do this to me,†Matt said, twitching his T-shirt back from between her fingers. â€Å"I haven't even had a chance to meet with my public defender yet!† â€Å"Maybe you should have accepted a public defender earlier,†replied the judge, sipping from a glass of water. He suddenly thrust his head at Matt and snapped, â€Å"Eh?† â€Å"That's ridiculous,†cried Matt. â€Å"You wouldn't give me my phone cal to get a lawyer!† â€Å"Did he ever ask for a phone cal ?†Judge Hol oway snapped, his eyes traveling around the room. The two officers who had beat Matt up solemnly shook their heads. At this, the bailiff, whom Matt suddenly recognized as the guy who'd kept him in the jury room for around four hours, began wagging his head back and forth in the negative. They al three wagged, almost in unison. â€Å"Then you forfeited that right by not asking for it,†the judge snapped. It seemed to be his only way of speaking. â€Å"You can't demand it in the middle of a trial. Now, as I was saying – â€Å" â€Å"I object!† Matt shouted even louder. â€Å"They're al lying! Look at your own tapes of them interrogating me. Al I kept saying – â€Å" â€Å"Counselor,†the judge snarled at Gwen, â€Å"control your client or you wil be held in contempt of court!† â€Å"You have to shut up,†Gwen hissed at Matt. â€Å"You can't make me shut up! You can't have this trial while you're breaking al the rules!† â€Å"Shut your trap!† The judge belted out the words at a surprising volume. He then added, â€Å"The next person to make a remark without my express permission shal be held in contempt of court to the tune of a night in jail and five hundred dol ars.† He paused to look around to see if this had sunk in. â€Å"Now,†he said. â€Å"Prosecution, cal your first witness.† â€Å"We cal Caroline Beulah Forbes to the stand.† Caroline's figure had changed. Her stomach was sort of upside-down-avocado-shaped now. Matt heard murmurs. â€Å"Caroline Beula Forbes, do you swear that the testimony you shal give wil be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?† Somewhere deep inside, Matt was shaking. He didn't know if it was mostly anger or mostly fear or an equal combination of both. But he felt like a geyser ready to blow – not necessarily because he wanted to, but because forces beyond his control were taking hold of him. Gentle Matt, Quiet Matt, Obedient Matt – he had left al those behind somewhere. Raging Matt, Rampaging Matt, that was about al he could be. From a dim outside world, voices came filtering into his reverie. And one voice pricked and stung like a nettle. â€Å"Do you recognize the boy you have named as your former boyfriend Matthew Jeffrey Honeycutt here in this room?† â€Å"Yes,†the prickly nettle voice said softly. â€Å"He's sitting at the defense table, in the gray T-shirt.† Matt's head flew up. He looked Caroline straight in the eye. â€Å"You know that's a lie,†he said. â€Å"We never went on one date together. Ever.† The judge, who had seemed to be asleep, now woke up. â€Å"Bailiff!†he snapped. â€Å"Restrain the defendant immediately.† Matt tensed. As Gwen Sawicki moaned, Matt suddenly found himself being held while duct tape was wrapped round and round his mouth. He fought. He tried to get up. So they duct-taped him around his waist to the chair. As they final y left him alone, the judge said, â€Å"If he runs off with that chair, you wil pay it out of your own salary, Miz Sawicki.† Matt could feel Gwen Sawicki trembling beside him. Not with fear. He could recognize the about-to-explode expression and realized that she was going to be next. And then the judge would hold her in contempt and who would speak up for him? He met her eyes and shook his head firmly at her. But he also shook his head at every lie Caroline came up with. â€Å"We had to keep it a secret, our relationship,†Caroline was saying demurely, straightening the gray dress. â€Å"Because Tyler Smal wood, my previous boyfriend, might have found out. Then he would have – I mean, I didn't want any trouble between them.† Yeah, Matt thought bitterly: you'd better walk careful y – because Tyler's dad probably has as many good friends in here as yours does. More. Matt tuned out until he heard the prosecutor say, â€Å"And did anything unusual happen on the night in question?† â€Å"Well, we went out together in his car. We went over near the boardinghouse†¦no one would see us there†¦Yes, I – I'm afraid I did give him a†¦a love-bite. But after that I wanted to leave, but he didn't stop. I had to try to fight him off. I scratched him with my nails – â€Å" â€Å"The prosecution offers Peoples'Exhibit 2 – a picture of the deep fingernail scores on the defendant's arm – â€Å" Gwen's eyes, meeting Matt's, looked dul . Beaten. She showed Matt a picture of what he remembered: the deep marks made by the huge malach's teeth when he had pul ed his arm out of its mouth. â€Å"The defense wil stipulate†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"So admitted.† â€Å"But no matter how I screamed and fought†¦Well, he was too strong, and I – I couldn't – â€Å"Caroline tossed her head in agony of remembered shame. Tears flooded from her eyes. â€Å"Your Honor, perhaps the defendant needs a break to freshen her makeup,†Gwen suggested bitterly. â€Å"Young lady, you are getting on my nerves. The prosecution can care for its own clients – I mean witnesses – â€Å" â€Å"Your witness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  – from the prosecution. Matt had scribbled as much of the real story as he could onto a blank sheet of paper while Caroline's theatrics had gone on. Gwen was now reading this. â€Å"So,†she said, â€Å"your ex, Tyler Smal wood, is not and has never been a† – she swal owed – â€Å"a werewolf.† Through her tears of shame Caroline laughed lightly. â€Å"Of course not. Werewolves aren't real.† â€Å"Like vampires.† â€Å"Vampires aren't real either, if that's what you mean. How could they be?†Caroline was looking into every shadow of the room as she said this. Gwen was doing a good job, Matt realized. Caroline's demure patina was beginning to chip. â€Å"And people never come back from the dead – in these modern times, I mean,†Gwen said. â€Å"Well, as to that† – malice had crept into Caroline's voice – â€Å"if you just go to the boardinghouse in Fel ‘s Church, you can see that there's a girl cal ed Elena Gilbert, who was supposed to have drowned last year. On Founder's Day, after the parade. She was Miss Fel ‘s Church, of course.† There was a murmur among the reporters. Supernatural stuff sold better than anything else, especial y if a pretty girl was involved. Matt could see a smirk making the rounds. â€Å"Order! Miz Sawicki, you wil keep to the facts in this case!† â€Å"Yes, Your Honor.†Gwen looked thwarted. â€Å"Okay, Caroline, let's go back to the day of the al eged assault. After the events you have narrated, did you cal the police at once?† â€Å"I was†¦too ashamed. But then I realized I might be pregnant or have some horrid disease, and I knew I had to tel .† â€Å"But that horrid disease wasn't lycanthropy – being a werewolf, right? Because that couldn't be true.† Gwen looked anxiously down at Matt and Matt looked bleakly up at her. He'd hoped that if Caroline were forced to keep talking about werewolves she would eventual y start to twitch. But she seemed to have complete control over herself now. The judge seemed furious. â€Å"Young lady, I won't have my court made a joke with any more supernatural nonsense!† Matt stared at the ceiling. He was going to jail. For a long time. For something he hadn't done. For something he would never do. And besides, now, there might be reporters going over to the boardinghouse to bother Elena and Stefan. Damn! Caroline had managed to get that in despite the blood oath she'd made never to give their secret away. Damon had signed that oath as well. For a moment Matt wished that Damon were back and right here, to take revenge on her. Matt didn't care how many times he got cal ed â€Å"Mutt†if Damon would just appear. But Damon didn't. Matt realized that the duct tape around his middle was low enough that he could slam his head against the defense table. He did this, making a smal boom. â€Å"If your client wishes to be completely immobilized, Miz Sawicki, it can be – â€Å" But then they al heard it. Like an echo, but delayed. And much louder than the sound of a head striking a table. BOOM! And again. BOOM! And then the distant, disturbing sound of doors slamming open as if they had been hit by a battering ram. At this point the people in the courtroom Stillcould have scattered. But where was there to go? BOOM! Another, closer door slamming open. â€Å"Order! Order in the courtroom!† Footsteps sounded down the wooden floor of the corridor. â€Å"Order! Order!† But no one, not even a judge, could stop this many people from muttering. And late in the evening, in a locked courthouse, after al that talk of vampires and werewolves†¦ Footsteps coming closer. A door, quite near, crashing and creaking. A ripple of†¦something†¦went through the courtroom. Caroline gasped, clutching at her bulging stomach. â€Å"Bar those doors! Bailiff! Lock them!† â€Å"Bar them how, Your Honor? And they only lock from the outside!† Whatever it was, it was very close – The doors to the courtroom opened, creaking. Matt put a calming hand on Gwen's wrist, twisting his neck to see behind him. Standing in the doorway was Saber, looking, as always, as big as a smal pony. Mrs. Flowers walked beside him; Stefan and Elena drew up the rear. Heavy clicking footsteps as Saber, alone, went up to Caroline, who was gasping and quivering. Utter silence as everyone took in the sight of the giant beast, his coat ebony black, his eyes dark and moist as he took a leisurely look around the courtroom. Then, deep in his chest, Saber went hmmf. Around Matt people were gasping and writhing, as if they itched al over. He stared and saw Gwen staring along with him as the gasping became a panting. Final y Saber tilted his nose to the ceiling and howled. What happened after that wasn't pretty from Matt's point of view. Not seeing Caroline's nose and mouth jut out to make a muzzle. Not seeing her eyes recede into smal , deep, fur-lined holes. And her hands, fingers shrinking into helplessly waving paws, widespread, with black claws. That wasn't pretty. But the animal at the end was beautiful. Matt didn't know if she'd absorbed her gray dress or shucked it off or what. He did know that a handsome gray wolf leaped from the defendant's chair to lick up at Saber's chops, rol ing al the way on the floor to frolic around the huge animal, who was so obviously the alpha wolf. Saber made another deep hmmf sound. The wolf that had been Caroline rubbed her snout lovingly against his neck. And it was happening in other places in the room. Both of the prosecutors, three of the jurors†¦the judge himself†¦ They were al changing, not to attack, but to forge their social bonds with this huge wolf, an alpha if ever there was one. â€Å"We talked to him al the way,†Elena explained in between cursing the duct tape in Matt's hair. â€Å"About not being aggressive and snapping off heads – Damon told me he did that once.† â€Å"We didn't want a bunch of murders,†Stefan agreed. â€Å"And we knew no animal would be as big as he was. So we concentrated on bringing out al the wolf in him we could – wait, Elena – I've got the tape on this side. Sorry about this, Matt.† A sting as tape ripped free – and Matt put a hand to his mouth. Mrs. Flowers was snipping the duct tape that held him to the chair. Suddenly he was entirely free and he felt like shouting. He hugged Stefan, Elena, and Mrs. Flowers, saying, â€Å"Thank you!† Gwen, unfortunately, was being sick in a trash can. Actual y, Matt thought, she was lucky in having secured one. A juror was being sick over the railing. â€Å"This is Ms. Sawicki,†Matt said proudly. â€Å"She came in after the trial had begun, and did a real y good job for me.† â€Å"He said ‘Elena,'†Gwen whispered when she could speak. She was staring at a smal wolf, with patches of thinning hair, that came limping down from the judge's chair to cavort around Saber, who was accepting al such gestures with dignity. â€Å"I'm Elena,†said Elena, in between giving Matt mighty hugs. â€Å"The one who's†¦supposed to be dead?† Elena took a moment out to hug Gwen. â€Å"Do I feel dead?† â€Å"I – I don't know. No. But – â€Å" â€Å"But I have a pretty little headstone in the Fel ‘s Church cemetery,†Elena assured her – then suddenly, with a change in countenance, â€Å"Did Caroline tel you that?† â€Å"She told the whole room that. Especial y the reporters.† Stefan looked at Matt and smiled wryly. â€Å"You may just live to have your revenge on Caroline.† â€Å"I don't want revenge anymore. I just want to go home. I mean – â€Å"He looked at Mrs. Flowers in consternation. â€Å"If you can think of my house as ‘home'while your dear mother is away, I am very happy,†said Mrs. Flowers. â€Å"Thank you,†Matt said quietly. â€Å"I real y mean that. But Stefan†¦what are the reporters going to write?† â€Å"If they're smart, they won't write anything at all.†

Patriarchy And Violence Against Women Essay

Author Charlotte Perkins Gilman in her The Man-made World or Our Androcentric Culture (1911) presents the most comprehensive statement of her overall theory. In it she argues that we live in a patriarchy or what she calls an androcentric, male-centered society and that our culture in all its aspects reflects this androcentric bias. Gilman sees this bias as destructive because the male sensitivity is destructive. A woman-centered, or better a mother-centered, world would be very different, because it would express the positive, benign character pf women’s sensitivities. In this work, and in His Religion and Hers, Gilman presents her most extreme statement of the radical differences between men and women. These differences she attributes to prehistoric roles assigned the two sexes. The male naturally fights, and naturally crows, triumphs over his rival and takes the prize—therefore, he was made male. Maleness means â€Å"war† (92) while the basic feminine impulse is to gather, to put together, to construct; the basic masculine impulse to scatter, to disseminate, to destroy† (114). A male-centered culture reflects these negative masculine concerns in nearly every area of expression. Some of Gilman’s most original contributions to feminist theory are contained in her discussion of the ideological warp impressed upon language, art, literature, sports, education, government and religion by the androcentric perspective. While public society is organized as a democracy, the man-made home remainsâ€Å"despotism. † â€Å"The male is esteemed the ‘head of the family’; it belongs to him; he maintains it; and the rest of the world is a wide hunting ground and battlefield wherein he competes with other males as of old† (41). In the â€Å"proprietary family† of the patriarchate, women remain men’s property in the household; they are little more than objects whose purpose is â€Å"first and foremost†¦ a means of pleasure to him† (32). Every law and custom† of the â€Å"family relation† is arranged from the masculine viewpoint (35). â€Å"From this same viewpoint†¦ comes the requirement that the woman shall serve the man. † (35). A greater challenge occurs when campaigns to improve gender equality by promoting the well-being of the marginalized are conducted in sync with trade and development policies that favor the economically strong multinationals and compromise the welfare of the lowly locals, particularly the helpless women and children. We ought to remember that sexism and patriarchy are all manifestations of a power struggle between the strong and the weak, the same kind of struggle linked to globalization and trade liberalization today. Patriarchy involves an imbalance of power between man and woman leading to unequal roles and benefits, a situation that can be seen in a larger context between the developing and the industrialized economies, as the latter’s efforts to spread globalization and to weaken the former’s trade laws also leads to unequal gains. Globalization’s capitalistic intent, although beneficial in several ways since it brings development to poorer states, may be cultural imperialism dressed in new clothes when the more powerful party uses its stronger bargaining authority to manipulate or exploit. (Gilman) â€Å"In no developing region do women experience equality with men. † This clear-cut statement from the World Bank, the reputed international monetary institution, relays one of the most apparent yet often overlooked realities of our time—gender inequality. Gender inequality is a significant social concern that deserves to be analyzed with the utmost diligence using both empirical and scholastic evidences. This inequality is deeply entangled in the fabric of the everyday lives of many men and women, and it has been in existence since time immemorial. Gender inequality, from its very name, implies an uneven treatment based on one’s gender. Essentially, gender inequality is the prejudice that one gender, usually the female, is secondary and subordinate to the more capable and hence superior male gender. Many societies practice gender inequality, with the men reinforcing it and the women passively receiving it, because it is considered part of an enduring patriarchal culture. Deviating from this norm means that one runs the risk of being branded a weak husband or a bad, undeserving wife. Both cases are an embarrassment to the individual and the family. The causes and effects of gender inequality are part of a larger network of social problems that compound the difficulties people face everyday. It is deeply related to other social problems, such as poverty, economic growth and development, and globalization. The World Bank (2001) underscored the notion that gender issues are now more prominent in debates related to development, though the relevance of a gendered perspective in policy-making is yet to be widely understood. Thus, based from its report, gender inequality ought to be considered when drafting developmental policies for poor and developing states because failing to take into account gender roles and relations as well as disparities lead to policies that â€Å"have limited effectiveness† (p. 5). Although gender disparity is characteristic of developing and poor states, it is not restricted to them. This phenomenon is also observed in wealthier and developed regions where both men and women are relatively affluent and do not experience scarcity of resources. In these rich societies, minor but noticeable gender-based discrimination remains. â€Å"Gender discrimination crosses races, classes and ethnicity†¦Ã¢â‚¬  remarks Lucy Bednarek (1998, p. 60) in her article, â€Å"Searching for Equality in a Global Economy. Compared to the gender gap in these wealthier states, gender inequality in poor states poses graver consequences to its citizens. The devalued women and their children feel the pangs of poverty and bear the heavier brunt of economic unproductivity with greater intensity, compared with the men who possess greater freedom, privilege, and economic and political control. As stated by the UN (2004) in Trade and Gender, â€Å"A gendered perspective of development is seen as a difficult enough task,† so that extending the gendered approach to the â€Å"realm of trade† is considered to be an even bigger challenge (55). Yet the organization believes that international trade must assume a gendered approach wherein accelerated economic growth and sustainable development will take place without endangering the well-being of the women and children in the community. The issue of trade has become so important in the consideration of gender equality because the current multilateral trade negotiation and regional trade agreements (RTAs) have pervaded state development policies. Because of these ubiquitous bi- and multilateral negotiations and agreements, governments do not just make decisions solely for the state but also according to the dictates of the global and regional environment or the overall plan of their affiliated economic groups. This environment therefore affects policies on gender; for the UN (2004, 56), â€Å"Every major move in the trading system can have direct or indirect implications for a country’s gender welfare, equity and development goals. † The crime of rape and other forms of violence against women have come into increasing focus in recent years, due in part to the rising prominence of the feminist movement. Rape has come to be widely perceived not only as a means of obtaining sexual gratification but rather as an extreme manner of expressing hostility to women. This broader definition of the term is related to the heightened awareness that far more often than not sexual aggression occurs within the context of courtship or friendship relationships (called â€Å"acquaintance rape† or â€Å"date rape†) or even that of marriage. The recognition that the forms of coercion used by men over women can go beyond direct and overt use of force brings legal theory closer to reality. However, some scholars fear that expanding conceptualization of rape and the imprecise definition of sexual harassment serve to blur the distinction between the sexes, especially between the expanded conceptualization of rape and male initiated seduction. These problems in defining behavior can exacerbate the difficulty in obtaining rape convictions from male jurors who may perceive an uncomfortable similarity between some of their own past actions and those of a defendant in such cases. Clearly, there is heightened sensitivity to the problems of rape and sexual harassment that will lead to accelerated efforts in legal and legislative policy formation. Reflecting this heightened sensitivity is the $1. 6 billion in the 1994 Crime Bill to fund Violence against Women Act. The challenge is to fight rape and harassment in all their forms while protecting the rights of women.

Political Kuwait before and after oil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Political Kuwait before and after oil - Essay Example Prior to the discovery of oil in Kuwait, their political structure was that different political classes were indebted to one another. This included the pearl divers, the captains, the merchants, the international merchants, and the ruling family, including the Sheikh. The entire political and governance structure was supported by debt that could not be rapid due to its amount. This, however, changed with discovery of oil as the government began to distribute wealth deliberately among all its recognized citizens. Kuwait also became a welfare state, while money was also funneled into the private sector through land purchases from the government at inflated prices (Slot 106). This worked to wipe out almost all debts owed by citizens. Prior to the discovery of oil, the Sheikh in Kuwait carried out all the executive functions of government, including the arbitration of disputes, using customary rules. Those disputes that he felt were covered under Sharia law were sent to the judges, although this was only to allow him make an informed and just decision (Slot 102). For this reason, it was important that the ruler availed himself to the people through open Majlis that enabled them to present grievances and disputes directly to the ruler. However, with the discovery of oil, government work expanded rapidly to include numerous agencies as required. The machinery of government diversified to include the Supreme Council that was constituted by various heads of government agencies. The Supreme Council became almost like a Politburo in that it reflected sharing of power among individuals linked to the ruling family, while the Amir’s continued absence from its sittings gave it a level of independence despite his con tinued chairmanship. In a further change to political structure away from the centralized figure of the Amir, the Organizing Body was formed to reform government

Prcis & critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Prcis & critique - Essay Example or political status, at times one of these sources may reference the irrationality of the parties, and their inabilities to resolve the conflict without outside help. These arguments differ from those of anthropologists in a number of ways. This article examines these differences through the scholarly lenses of the social scientists who study ethnic groups. It discusses the concepts of ethnocentricity and ethnic conflict and continues to examine the true sources of ethnic conflicts and the various ways ethnic groups have resolved these conflicts both on their own and without the aid of outside interference. In this article, â€Å"Ethnocentrism and Ethnic Conflict†, the author Marc Howard Ross begins by explaining the difference between ethnicity and ethnocentrism on pages 4-8. The author posits that cultural and social aspects of ethnic groups are at the root of ethnic conflict. Mr. Ross further continues that ethnic conflict is a result of the group’s sense of threat to their identity and existence (p. 8), inequitable distribution of resources (p. 8), and differences in cultural beliefs, behaviors, and styles of communication (p.9). Anthropologists agree that the ethnic groups being â€Å"guided† in these conflicts should be allowed to, and are capable of, resolving the conflicts on their own (p.12). In accordance with this argument, the citizens of Iraq should be left to solve their religious and political differences. The Sunnis, Shiites, and Christians of that nation are persons capable of resolving their conflicts and create an prosperous nation. Language and cultural identification are often the source of ethnic conflict as well (p.9). The author references the ongoing conflict between the Egyptians and Israelis, and the ongoing Palestinian conflict. An ideal example this type of conflict would be that of Afghanistan. Afghanistan has long been a country divided along linguistic and tribal customs and identifications. In order for this conflict

Land Acquisitions in India Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Land Acquisitions in India - Research Paper Example The Left Front, which built a noteworthy political hegemony in West Bengal largely on the basis of Operation Barga and land reforms, has been brought to its knees after a substandard attempt at wresting a thousand acres for a car factory, illustrating how land issues have a seismic potential in our political landscape. This was one of the potential reasons behind the political turmoil occurred in west Bengal. People of west Bengal took the issue of land acquisitions in the rural areas of Singur and Nandigram as a prime case of malfunction in the context of malfunction. The economic boom caused during the post-liberalization period continues to create a voracious appetite for space to meet the demands of industrialization, infrastructure building, urban expansion, and resource extraction. Finding a way to balance the needs of â€Å"economic growth, equitable distribution and human rights, rescuing these complex and sometimes conflicting objectives from the demagoguery of single issue advocates†¦and political opportunists, is perhaps the greatest challenge facing our democracy† (Ghatak and Ghosh, 2011, p.2). The paper addresses the hindrances associated with land acquisitions in India, the role of â€Å"special economic zones†, and the policy implications. ... Special economic zones will be facilitated with exemptions from government taxes and duties such as service tax, sales tax and others by the government of India. Although The Indian parliament passed the SEZ act in June 2005, the law came into effect in February 2006. The states like that of Gujarat had approved regional SEZ legislation in the year of 2004. The Commerce and the cabinet minister for industrial growth, Shri Kamal Nath acknowledged that exports will increase five times and the GDP of the nation will rise 2%. It was also emphasized that SEZ will generate substantial employment across India. The Indian government emphasizes that SEZ will possibly grab the attention of global manufacturing sector. It will enhance the transfer of latest technology and will also generate incentives for infrastructure. Central government of India has given the approval of a total of 439 SEZ across Indian states. Of the total198 of these SEZs have essentially been notified already (Vaidya, Dha r, 2005, p-1) Ultimately 500 SEZs are deemed to be formulated. The total volume of land to be taken across India for the purpose of SEZ is 150,000 hectares. This land mainly agricultural and essentially multi cropped is potentially competent of producing almost 1 million tons of food grains. If SEZs are seen to be triumphant in the future and more refined land is acquired, they will imperil the food security of the person. The employment generated in the organized sector is yet less than 3 crore. Employment is less than 0.15 crore even in the information technology and ITES sector. Due to the growing automation, modern era of manufacturing grows joylessly around the world. With the booming automobile sector, the organized sector is also in a need of labor supply (SACW,

Nursing Research # 3 Quantitative Resaerc Appraisal Assignment

Nursing Research # 3 Quantitative Resaerc Appraisal - Assignment Example Such an affiliation with a uniform color and style creates a preference that correlates with the uniform having an extreme score grounded on the features of the nurse’s image. The issue is significant and relevant to nursing because professionalism amongst nurses is determined by the level of education and workplace etiquette. The image features of nurses are applicable at their place of work because image is apparent by pediatric patients, grown patients and mature guests (Albert, Wocial, Meyer, Na and Trochelman, 2008, p. 180). The problem is also very applicable to nursing because uniform fondness is consistent with the features of the nurse’s image. In terms of financing, the study was possible because the research was sponsored by the Cleveland Clinic. The clinic aimed at offering training and professional support to nurses working within their domain through this research. The subjects used in the study were also fully dedicated to the objective and mission of the study. The specialists used in the study were completely focused and committed to the cause of the study. The subjects and facility provision was at of the highest quality (Albert, Wocial, Meyer, Na and Trochelman, 2008, p. 180). The subjects were adults well aware of the techniques and protocols used in the study. The equipment used in the study was most efficient for providing quality findings for the research and the layout of the variables. All applied ethical considerations completely were completely feasible since the subjects were exposed to all perceptions of the possible outcomes. Applicable studies that were carried out in the past have not been solely referenced in the study. This is because the experiment was a first of its kind. The preview journal involved is not entirely recognized by all medical sub-disciplines of nursing. Nevertheless, the study was identified for its similarity to a nursing project initiated by Mangum in 1997. The

Aristotle and Relationship at Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Aristotle and Relationship at Work - Essay Example The excellences most properly human, then, are the intellectual excellences, and happiness consists primarily in activity in accordance with those excellences -- it is a form of intellectual activity Aristotle sees happiness as one of the main issues in life of human beings. In his works, happiness is referred as "eudaimonia". To say that happiness concerns the soul or the animator is to say that human flourishing requires the exercise of certain of the faculties by which life is defined; in particular, a person cannot be said to flourish as a human being unless he is exercising distinctively human faculties. "Happiness is an activity 'in accordance with excellence" (Kraut 83). To flourish is to do certain things excellently or well. A man who exercises his faculties but does so inefficiently or badly cannot be said to be making a success of his life. Then what are the excellences in accordance with which we must act if we are to make a success of things Aristotle distinguishes between excellences of character and excellences of intellect. The former include both what we think of as moral virtues -- courage, generosity, fairmindedness, and so on, and also such dispositions as a proper self-respect, an appropriate degree of ostentation, and wit; the latter include such things as knowledge, good judgment, 'practical wisdom'. In addition, Aristotle spends some time in discussing the quasi-excellence of friendship (Chang 64). According to Pangle: For the pursuit of this highest good must begin precisely by questioning the goodness of what is one's own, the goodness of the reigning pieties of those among whom one is born, and the likelihood that simple fellowship with kindred souls can ever be the core of happiness, as bewitchingly desirable as it may seem" (35). Thus any choice or possession of the natural goods, goods of the body, wealth, friends, or any other good, which will best produce contemplation by the god [that is to say, by our intellect, the god within us], is best and is the finest standard; and any which, either because of deficiency or because of excess, prevents us from cultivating the god and from contemplating, is bad.' To flourish, to make a success of life, requires engagement in intellectual pursuits. Aristotle thought that such pursuits were immensely enjoyable, and that the intellectual life offered an unparalleled happiness Chang 64). Friendship is seen by Aristotle as a desired goals of human relations, but he accepts friendship between equals only. Aristotle lists some defining characteristics of friendship. A friend wishes and does what is good for

To what extent has a Human Rights Act transformed the protection of Essay

To what extent has a Human Rights Act transformed the protection of the idividual rights in the UK - Essay Example The European Convention on Human Rights which was formed in the year 1950 has been an international agreement, which has kept the UK bound by the ECHR. The UK adopted and integrated the ECHR in its national legislation, and operates in compliance with the provisions of the ECHR. As such, the ECHR protects the fundamental civil and political rights of all citizens of the European Union1. The UK enacted the Human Rights Act in the year 2000 and adapted the provisions of the ECHR in it. The courts in the UK have to respect the human rights laid down by the act. In the absence of a written constitution, the Human Rights Act protects the fundamental rights and civil liberties. The underlying objective of this Act is to comply with the rights provided by the ECHR, wherever possible. Therefore, the Human Rights Act strengthens the scope of the ECHR rights. The Human Rights Act strives hard to protect the fundamental rights of all citizens of the UK. The act ensures that an individual’s rights do not interfere with the rights of other individuals. On the other hand, the interests of the community should be treated as a whole. The ECHR also considered this aspect while drafting the Convention rights. Articles 8 to 11 of the ECHR provide that the community’s interests are protected. The first part of these Articles established the rights and the second part dea ls with the limitations of these rights2. The English courts have to follow the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and interpret them in the cases coming before them. The Human Rights Act ensures that the Parliament invariably takes into account, while proposing legislation, that balance is maintained between individual’s rights and the interests of the community. Furthermore, the Human Rights Act also requires the English courts to comply with the legislation enacted by Parliament. It permits the High Courts or the Supreme Court to disallow any law that is in

A Critical rationale for the delivery of the PE, School Sport and Club Essay

A Critical rationale for the delivery of the PE, School Sport and Club Links (PESSCL) initiative - Essay Example Inadequate delivery of professional services to the members of public. Lack of support for health education on the part of some teachers, parents and administrators (Reidy, 2008, p. 31) Recent findings suggest that some trends such as drug and alcohol use are major contributory factors to increased health challenges in the world. Other factors that have made the situation worse include tobacco use which predisposes to users to cancer. Also, sexual behaviours, and dietary behaviours have contributed to more serious issues. U.K. has continued to fight health issues by coming up with different approaches to regulation, enforcement and incentives for compliance. There are different priorities and policies which have resulted in various differences existing between the health services systems. In addition there are private health sectors that which are considerably smaller to cater for the financially well up (Campbell, 2011, p. 40). For instance, in England most health care is provided for by the National Health Service which is accounted for in the Department of Health’s budget. Each of these systems provide health care and ambulance services for emergencies especially when patients are not able to use public means of transport. More so dental services are provided through private dental practices and dentists have no mandate to inflate the standard rate to offer the services. Other most outstanding features of UK health services are lower waiting time for the patients. This ensures that there is no delay while patients wait for services. This is a big contrast in relation to most African countries which lack such clearly defined medical services and schemes. Children are subject to higher incidences of exposure to health issues due to their behaviour and physiology. 1in every 10 children suffer from diagnosable mental health conditions. More so, most children in U.K. suffer from obesity which is a condition

Psychological Effects one can have due to Sleep Deprivation Essay Example for Free

Psychological Effects one can have due to Sleep Deprivation Essay According to Kozier et Al. (2002), sleep is the state of being conscious wherein there is a decrease of perception, and reaction to the environment of an individual (p. 953). Sleep exerts physiologic effects on both the nervous systems and other body structures and also it restores normal levels of activity and balance among parts of the nervous systems (p. 956). There are two types of sleep, NREM sleep and REM sleep, NREM sleep or non-REM sleep is a deep, restful sleep and some physiologic functions were decreased. It is also referred to as a low wave sleep because when a person sleeps the brain waves tends to slow than the alpha and beta waves of an awake person. NREM sleep is divided into four stages: stage 1- very light sleep wherein the person feels drowsy and relaxed, stage 2- light sleep that will last only from ten to fifteen minutes, stage 3- domination of parasympathetic nervous systems that slows down the heart and respiratory rates as well as other body processes and sometimes snoring may occur and the fourth stage will be the deep sleep is thought to restore the body physically, dreams and rolling of the eyes may occur in this stage. Another type of sleep is the REM sleep or the rapid eye movement sleep that constitutes 25% of sleep of a young adult and usually recurs every ninety minutes and lasts five to thirty minutes. On the other hand, dreams in REM sleep were usually remembered because it is consolidated in the memory (pp. 953-954). There are many factors that may affect sleep of an individual, quality of sleep and quantity of sleep were both affected by a number of factors. The quality of sleep is the ability of an individual to stay asleep and to get the required amount of REM and NREM sleep while the quantity of sleep is the total time the individual sleeps. Age, environment fatigue, life style, psychological stresses are just some of the factors that indeed affects the sleep of an individual (p. 956). Literature Review In an internet article, they listed six persons that have a contribution in sleep research. A French Scientist Henri Pieron authored a book entitled â€Å"Le probleme physiologique du sommeil,† which was the first text to examine sleep from a physiological perspective. This work is usually regarded as the beginning of the modern approach to sleep research. Dr. Nathaniel Kleitman, now known as the â€Å"Father of American sleep research,† he started working in Chicago in the 1920’s questioning the regulation of sleep and wakefulness and of circadian rhythms. Kleitman’s crucial work included studies of sleep characteristics in different populations and the effect of sleep deprivation. Another contributor is questioning the regulation of sleep and wakefulness and of circadian rhythms. Kleitman’s crucial work included studies of sleep characteristics in different populations and the effect of sleep deprivation. Dr. William C. Dement extended Dr. Kleitman’s path of research. Dement described the â€Å"cyclical† nature of nocturnal sleep in 1955, and in 1957 and ’58 established the relationship between REM sleep and dreaming. In 1958, he published a paper explaining that in a sleeping cat there is a cyclic organization existence, thus creating an explosion of fundamental research that gathers researchers from different fields of specialty. For the next 20 years, Michel Jouvet leads to an identification of REM sleep as an independent state of alertness, which he called â€Å"paradoxical sleep. Another one is H. Gastaut and his colleagues discovered the presence of apnea during sleep in a subgroup of â€Å"Pickwickian† patients (1965) that lead them to an outbreak of investigations of the control exercised by the â€Å"sleeping brain† on the body’s vital functions. His work eventually led to the new discipline of â€Å"sleep medicine† (A brief history of sleep research, â€Å"n. a. †). Sleep deprivation and its causes According to Kozier et Al. (2002), sleep deprivation is only one out of many common sleep disorders. They defined sleep deprivation as a syndrome of prolonged disturbance that leads the amount, quality, and consistency of sleep to decrease and thus produces a variety of physiologic and behavioral symptoms, its harshness will depend on the degree of the deprivation. Again there are two types of sleep deprivation REM and NREM deprivation, the combination of the two deprivation increases the severity of symptoms. Alcohol, barbiturates, shift work, jet lag, extended ICU hospitalization, morphine, and meperidine hydrochloride are the causes of REM deprivation, while all of the causes of REM deprivation plus diazepam flurazepam hydrochloride, hypothyroidism, depression, respiratory distress disorders, sleep apnea, and age causes NREM deprivation, and both REM and NREM deprivation is caused from the combination of both REM and NREM deprivation causes (p. 959). Another cause of sleep deprivation is from the psychological stress wherein anxiety and depression frequently disturb sleep. A person can’t relax adequately to get to sleep if he or she is having a personal problem. Another factor is alcohol and stimulants, people who drinks alcohol excessively has the higher rates of sleep disturbances. Alcohol disrupts REM sleep even though it fastens the onset of sleep. Diet- weight loss is accompanied with reduced total sleep time as well as broken sleep and earlier awakening. Smoking, cigarettes contains nicotine that has stimulating effects on the body and may cause in difficulty of falling asleep. Motivation, person’s desire to stay awake can cause a fatigue, and illness, an ill person is more prone to sleep deprivation, in their condition they need to have more sleep, but a patient in a hospital is disturb by their time to take their medicines, and respiratory conditions can also disturb sleep thus disturbing their total time of sleep a person is required to have (p. 956). Psychological and physical effects of sleep deprivation  The effects of sleep deprivation to the body is like a chain reaction, its main target is the brain, since the brain is the control unit of the body, the brain controls and is responsible for the homeostasis of the body, once the brain is affected many imbalances may occur. For REM deprivation excitability, restlessness, irritability, increased sensitivity to pain, confusion and suspiciousness, and emotional liability can possibly be the effects. For NREM deprivation one may show hyporesponsiveness, withdrawal, apathy, feeling physically uncomfortable, lack of facial expression, and speech deterioration. For both REM and NREM deprivation, inattentiveness, decreased reasoning ability and the ability to concentrate, marked fatigue manifested by blurred vision, itchy eyes, nausea, headache, difficulty in performing activities of daily living, lack of memory, mental confusion, visual or auditory hallucinations and illusions can be its primary effects to one’s both psychological and physical aspect of a person. Since stress is one of the major factor affecting sleep deprivation whether it’s psychological or physical stress. As you think more and focuses your mind into the problem, your mind will become more fatigue (p. 959). Based on the book by Biron et Al. (2006), stress may lead to some psychological problems and may interfere with effective intrapersonal and the intrapersonal behavior of the individual. A person experiencing prolonged stressful events may suffer from feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, and consequently, undermining his self esteem. Impaired task performance is another effect of stressful mind; it interferes with our ability to successfully perform a task and responsibilities expected. And disruption of cognitive functioning, people who are under stress are likely to experience loss of concentration, disorientation, and forgetfulness (pp. 184-185). Treatment for sleep deprived persons According to the book made by Kushida (2005), pregnant women are also prone to sleep deprivation. In treating sleep deprivation for pregnant women, they recommended seven treatments to minimize maternal and fetal health risk: a) women should try to seep on the left side and avoid sleeping in supine position.  Avoiding it will ease the stress of the heart, will reduce constriction of the space available to the fetus, will reduce pressure to the inferior vena cava that carries blood back to the heart from the feet and legs, b) if symptoms of RLS are present, consider an evaluation of ferritin, hemoglobin, and folate levels and supplement when indicated, c) treat sleeping- disordered breathing with CPAP, d) avoid staying in bed when unable to seep, e) address anxiety provoking issues to reduce overall level of arousal, f) Consider regular exercise, pregnant women who exercise three times a week for at least thirty minutes have less insomnia and anxiety than pregnant women who do not exercise, and g) treat psychophysiological insomnia with empirically supported cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (p. 185). Another form of treatment is discussed by Greist and Jefferson (1992), psychosurgery is a rare treatment; it is not then advisable if other treatments have not been tested to a patient. Careful neurosurgical interruption of brain pathways has been shown that fifty percent of patients has been helped to this kind of treatment (pp. 79-80). Conclusion: Sleep is really a helpful in obtaining our health; it restores our body’s energy. Sleep deprivation is not really a syndrome but an effect due to some disturbances, stress, and anxiety that makes our brain to send signal to our body to be awake, an unnecessary awakening that affects our total time of sleep.  When our body is stressful or lack of average sleep needed by each individual, our brain do not work properly thus affecting our lifestyle, our ability to think and cope up with problems, and then other diseases may occur if not immediately taken to concern, because stress attacks our brain and knowing that our brain is the control center of our body. Recommendation: If sleeplessness and the listed signs and symptoms occur, it will be a clever decision if you consult a Doctor immediately prior to health concern. It is also a best way if symposiums will be conducted or seminars that discuss about Sleep deprivation to school and or universities so that students and educators will be aware to the effects of sleep deprivation that one can possibly have due to body exhaustion and abuse.

Planning for examinations Essay Example for Free

Planning for examinations Essay I decided not to revise anything for the essay part of the exam paper. This was because I felt that I had done enough research for my specialist modules and would be able to recall it when needed. In the weeks leading up to the exam I spent about 30 minutes a day going over various chapters in my study skills folder, and if there was a particular item I had trouble with I would make a note of it and go over it again the next day. Finding time at home to revise was a bit of a problem and I found that the best time was in the evening when the children had gone to bed. This meant that I was sometimes quite tired when I tried to revise and wasted some sessions simply because I could not absorb any information. In future I may choose to do my revision somewhere other that at home, for example, the library. This means I will be away from the distractions of children and phone calls. I will also give my friends and family a copy of my revision time-table so that they know not to bother me. I felt that we were given enough information before the exam to know what to expect though I would have liked to have seen a copy of an old paper and perhaps given the opportunity to have a go at completing one. When we were allowed to look at our paper I read it through once before answering any questions. Once I had done this I first answered the questions I did not need to think about too much before going on to the others, and if there were any I did not know then I left them blank. I then went onto the essay question and decided which to do, though I found making a choice difficult as I did not know how I would get on once I had started. Once I got started on the essay I realised the mistake I had made by not revising my specialist modules. I wanted to be able to include examples, statistics or case studies in my essay by could not remember any. Once I had completed the essay I went back to the questions and any that I did not know the answer to I guessed. I then proof read the whole paper and corrected some errors which I had missed. If I could have done thing differently I would have planned my revision better to avoid distractions. I found that spending 30 minutes a day trying to revise while cooking dinner and running around after the children does not work. Before the exam I was not nervous but I think this was to do with the fact I did not have time to think about it too much. I also think that I did not take it as seriously as I should have and therefore did not revise enough. While waiting outside the exam hall I seemed to catch nervousness from other people but cannot see any way to avoid this. During the exam I was more nervous than I expected and was really aware of how quickly the time was passing. I wanted to work out how much time I could spend on each section, but this seemed to make me feel worse as I could not remember how many points would be awarded for each. After the exam I felt a bit disappointed as I feel my lack of revision meant I could not do my best. Dealing with stress during my revision sometimes helped. It made feel more awake sometimes, though this was often short lived and I usually ended up feeling worn out. Stress often meant I could not concentrate properly and I would try to do too much in one session. In future I will try to avoid the negative affects of stress by taking regular breaks, planning my revision better, finding a better location for my revision, not revising when I am tired and taking revision more seriously. I also think that revision is something that should be a continuous process not only used just before an exam. Reviewing work monthly or termly is something that I will try in the future.

Strategic Management Issues in Low Cost Airlines

Strategic Management Issues in Low Cost Airlines Low cost airlines have been a trend nowadays anywhere in the world. There are many airlines that have adopted this strategy and have become more successful because of this. The low cost airlines have the advantage over the premium airlines due to the fact that they will never get their costs to a point where they can make a profit at low fares in bigger markets. Among these low cost airlines that are in existence nowadays is Ryan air. The Irish airline company Ryan air is the first low-cost, no-frills European airline to have any impact. Ryan air started operations in July 1985, flying between Waterford in the southeast of Ireland and Londons Gatwick airport. Three brothers, Catlan, Declan and Shane Ryan were the founding shareholders of Ryan air, which was set up to offer low-cost no-frills services between Ireland and London. Now, Ryan air, with its rapid growth occupied a most sought position in its own field, being Britains favourite airline. Ryan air currently has a team of more than 7,000 people and expects to carry approximately 73 million passengers in fiscal year 2010/11. 1.3 Current Strategic Positions: To evaluate any organisations strategic position certain factors have to be assessed. These include those below and also the environmental analysis which follows later in the report. 1.3.1 Market Segmentation: Ryan air lay claim to their market segment by stating they were Europes first no frills airline, www.ryanair.com. Ryanair have made strategic decisions based on increasing their competitive edge, the main one becoming involved in attracting customers at both ends of their routes. Haberberg and Rieple (2001), support this by showing that Ryanairs key source of revenue from as far back as a decade ago has been in enticing passengers from France, Italy and Scandinavia. This has had the advantage of increasing their market share as well as the added bonus of creating a well recognised brand name across Europe. 1.3.2 Prescriptive, Emergent or Something Unique? A prescriptive corporate strategy is one where the objective has been defined in advance and the main elements have been developed before the strategy commencesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.an emergent corporate strategy is one whose final objective is unclear and whose elements are developed during the course of its life, as the strategy proceeds. Lynch (2000) As is shown above by Lynch (2000) the two recognised strategy models are extremely different, however these are the two dominant strategy approaches as stated by Dennis Foster in his lecture on Managing Strategic Change (2006). It is safe to recognise straight away that Ryanair does not sit uniformly with either strategy. However certain aspects or functions could certainly adhere to one or the other as these are sections that make up the carrier as a whole and for an organisation of Ryanairs size different parts would have different aims and objectives underneath a main umbrella strategy for the organisation. For example any planning undertaken by Ryanair for new routes or planes would follow the prescriptive model as the objective would have been defined beforehand and elements such as finance will have had to have been agreed before any purchasing goes ahead. On the other hand emergent strategies may be in place for things like training and development where elements can be discovered along the way for example if an issue arose where staff needed more health and safety training then the training programme could be redirected. Ryanair, as already stated, follows neither strategic approach religiously and possesses a strategy unique to their organisation, which has identified their needs and objectives. However their approach to strategic management isnt unique in itself as the majority of organisations will tailor strategies to suit their business own individuality. 1.3.3 Competitive Advantages: Their main competitors are carriers including Easy Jet, BMIbaby, Fly Be and Thomson Fly all of who try to attract potential customers by emphasising their low cost tickets. This makes the competition in this market segment fierce as in order to offer the lowest fares, costs must also be kept to a minimum. Ryanair continues to be the lowest cost airline in Europe. The firm manages to maintain its cost leadership despite the presence of other low cost airlines in Europe. The source of competitive advantage of the company is its ability to drive down costs to sustain low fares while at the same time remains profitable. This is done through: Fleet Commonality The airlines fleet is made up of Boeing 737, the most common aircraft being flown in the present. Because of fleet commonality the firm is able to cut on costs in obtaining spares and maintenance services. Contracting Out of Services Other than Dublin Airport where the firm maintains its staff and services, Ryanair contracts out aircraft handling, ticketing, baggage handling and other functions to third parties. The firm is able to obtain competitive rates and multi-year contracts at fixed prices, limiting exposure to cost increases. Third party service outsourcing also limits Ryanairs direct exposure to employee relations responsibilities and potential disputes. Airport Charges and Route Policy Airport charges include landing fees, passenger loading fees, aircraft parking fees and noise surcharges. In order to reduce these fees, the firm avoids congested main airports and chooses secondary and regional airport destinations which are very interested in increasing passenger throughput. Staff Costs and Productivity In order to control employee compensation costs, the firm implements a performance related pay structure. Although the company provides lower labor costs, the employees can earn additional pay or remuneration base on their performance. Marketing Costs In order to reduce marketing costs, the firm cut its rate commission to travel agents. The firms main advertisement tools are newspapers, radio, television and its company website. 2.0 External analysis: For success within the airline industry, an awareness of the external environment is essential. This section aims to highlight the position of the industry, in particular looking at competitors and assessing Ryans capability to meet current and future challenges. 2.1 PESTLE Analysis In Pestle analysis we investigate macro external factors for companies, which are very important for identify their strategies. There are 6-core elements of Pestle analysis. These are Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental options. We can examine these factors in the airline industry to realize Ryanairs future external threats and opportunities. PESTEL Factor Key Points Implications for RYAN Political Heavy regulation (AEA, 2009). Compliance is essential if Ryan wants to continue operations. Increased security due to past terrorist threats (DFT, 2008). Sufficient security measures should be in place to ensure consumer confidence and competitive advantage is maintained. Economic Global economic crisis:World growth is projected to just over 2  percent in 2009 (IMF, 2008). Pound weakens especially against the Euro. Possible reduction in the amount of business travel as companies are cutting costs and using alternative means of communication such as teleconferencing. Oil prices: declined by 50 % since their peak retreating to 2007 levels. Decline in fuel price = strengthening of the dollar (IMF, 2008) Fluctuations in oil prices and exchange rates will directly affect Ryans cost base. UK consumer spending saw its sharpest decline for 13 years between July and September 2008 (Channel 4, 2008). More intense competition Social The UK has an aging population (see appendix 3) (National Statistics Online, 2008). Potential opportunity for growth as older generations havemore time to spend on leisure activities such as international travel. Increasing unemployment (Kollewe and Sager, 2008). Increased bargaining power as an employer. Technological A recent survey revealed that 34% of online consumers plan to use price-comparison sites more in 2009 (NMA, 2009). Increased consumer awareness and therefore bargaining power. Online booking services and check-in is becoming increasingly used by the airline industry. Ryan must ensure that they remain up to date with these technological advances whilst avoiding becoming overly reliant, as this may isolate certain consumer markets (i.e the elderly) who dont feel comfortable using such technology. Environmental/Ethical Noise pollution controls,and energy consumption controls (DFT, 2008). New legislation (e.g. Climate Change Bill) enforcing tighter environmental regulation may increase operational costs each year. Limited land and for growing airports Expansion is difficult at Heathrow as it would result in a loss in the Londons Green belt area. (BBC News 2006) Limited capacity=>utilisation of capacity. Consumers are becoming increasingly green and more aware of the environmental impact of their actions. Failure to adopt an integrated environmental strategy could lead to a detrimental effect on the Ryans reputation and income. Cancellations of flights and loss of baggage (Channel 4, 2008). Such ethical issues could have a detrimental effect on reputation if left unresolved. Legal Recognition of trade unions and industrial action e.g. Cabin Crew strikes. Good employee relations are essential if Ryan wants to avoid industrial action and interrupted operations. Open Skies Agreement (AEA, 2009) Opportunity for Ryan and its competitors to freely transport aircraft between the EU and US. There is a cruel competition in airline industry. Especially, after credit crunch in 2008 the competition has become crueler. Companies have to fight with recession also and in this economic situation we can see lots of threats in sector. If you reverse these threats to the opportunities you will be one step further in the competition. Ryanair is the most suitable company to gain advantages from todays world. With this assignment we answered the questions, which frequently asking for their future strategy and their positions of the future competition. Thats why; they have started to corporate social responsibilities. 2.2 Porters Five Forces Before starting to write analysis of the Ryanair based on Porters five forces I should write some special information about Ryanair or all low cost airlines. The main characteristics of these companies are designed for reducing costs. Because it is obvious that the most competitive maybe just one- side of them is their low fares. For Ryanair, their aircrafts seat density is very high and they prefer just one aircraft types (Boeing 737-800). All of their bookings are via Internet so they earn huge amount of money because of no sales commissions. They havent got any frills such as free food or havent got any air-mile promotions. They always prefer secondary airports. Actually these all I mentioned above are had mentioned at their S.W.O.T. analysis in strengths part. In my opinion we can use every single detail from S.W.O.T. analysis of Ryanair when we are writing about Porters Five Forces analysis of it. This analysis has five-core element. These are 1. Bargaining Power of Suppliers 2. New Entrants 3. Threat of Substitutes 4. Competitive Rivalry 5. Bargaining Power of Customers Bargaining Power of Customers Ryanair customers are highly price sensitive. It is very easy to change their airline and it is not related to high cost. In this century customers knowledge about the cost of service is high and there is no customer loyalty for Ryanair. Even though there is no customer loyalty, bargaining power of customers is low. Ryanair is the cheapest airline for all Europe destinations and customers are -especially in recession times- highly price sensitive. New Entrants It is very hard to be new in airline industry. There are lots of barriers to entry. You should take the flight authorizations. The capital that you will invest in this sector is very high. It is also hard to take a place current competition and also hard to find suitable airports for your flights. In my opinion in short time period there will not be any threats of new entrants against Ryanair even though some existing companies are changing their strategy and reducing their ticket price (Lufthansa). Threat of Substitutes As I mentioned before there is not any brand loyalty of customers and Ryanair preferred customer relationship is not-close relationship. If their customers find better way to travel they will not feel any hesitation to chose it. So the threat of direct and indirect substitutes is very high and the most important point is there are no switching costs for the customers. Competitive Rivalry The market is highly competitive. Most of Ryanairs cost advantages can be copied immediately. In Europe it seems like there is an agreement between Ryanair and Easyjet about not to compete head to head. However if any company does decide to compete on the same basis as Ryanair it will be highly crucial for Ryanair. There will be heavy pressure on prices, margins, and hence on profitability. 2.3 Bowmans Strategy Clock Bowman created his Strategy Clock in The Essence of Competitive Strategy book. With this strategic model he illustrates companys competitive position in comparison with their rivals. For him the real advantage of companies being achieved cost and differentiation. His strategy clock has 8 options. First two options are about the low price. First option is totally low cost low added value but the second option totally about to be a cost leader without caring its value. Second option has the risk of price war and low margin. Third option is a hybrid option. Mainly the low cost but not the lowest price. The most important difference between second and the third option is in third option reinvestment in differentiation. Fourth option is about differentiation. For option five the biggest difference is the differentiation is highly focused. It perceived added value to a particular segment warranting a premium price. Rests of the options are failure options. At option six the price is increased but the value is standard. Option seven is worse than option six. In option seven you can see increased price with low values. It is only feasible in monopoly situation. Last option is option 8, which is the cause loss of market share. Because your low value has a standard price. Ryanair had dramatic changes during last decade period time and this was flabbergasted its competitors. Their profitability rose within a short period of time. Their low-fares strategy without frills and punctuality in flight service helped their high profitability period and it brought a significant value on the growth. The high level competition needs efficient strategy to gain advantages and at the same time high profit. In different times we can put Ryanairs strategy in different options in Bowmans Strategy Clock. But all of them can be placed between options 1 to 5. Their strategy never placed in failure part of Bowmans clock. Mainly, in these days Ryanair place in the clock is between options 1-2, which is mainly about low price. We can easily realize Ryanair is the best example for this option. If they can secure their price and gives higher valued service they can easily take a place option three and they will be strongest company in the competition. In my opinion, hybrid strategy is the most preferable strategy in the clock that is why Virgin Airlines prefer this option. If Ryanair updates their lowest price strategy with a standard service they easily will be the strongest company in the competition. 3.0 SWOT Analysis: Strengths Ryanair has been known as Europes first low-cost, no-frills airline brand.This fact alone credits is the companys strongest selling point. Ryanair started in year 1985 with only 57 staff members and with one 15-seater turboprop plane from the south of east of Ireland to London-Gatwick which carried 5000 passengers on one route. In 1986, inspired from the story of David and Goliath the company go after the big guys for a slice of the action and end up smashing the Aer Lingus or British Airways high fare cartel on the Dublin-London route. From therein, Ryanairs lower fares offering increased their market share rapidly resulting to the establishment of low-cost subsidiaries of established airline companies such as British Airlines and KLM. The low-cost, no-frills strategy resulted to a rapid increase of customers and expansion of their operations, wherein the staff increased from mere 57 to 3, 400 staff members and almost 35 million passengers. In terms of operations, the EU air transport deregulation allowed the airline for the first time to open up new routes to Continental Europe with over 3 million passengers on 18 routes carried in 1997. Ryanair also launched services to Stockholm, Oslo, Paris and Brussels and took time out to float Ryanair Holdings plc on Dublin and NASDAQ Stock exchanges. The company was awarded as Airline of the Year in 1999 by the Irish Air Transport Users Committee. In 2001, while almost all traditional airline companies suffered from losses and stiff competition, Ryanair, being a low-cost airline became more than merely profitable by recording 26 percent in operating margins results that the former only dreams about. In June of the following year, Ryanair made a market capitalization amounting to 4.9 billion euro ($4.82 billion), breaking the records of 45 percent more than the mighty British Airways that has 20 times larger in terms of revenue. Ryanair possesses the sophisticated and able technology that can cater to the fast changing global marketing management trends. It has core competence in its use of information technology that can support its management and marketing operations. Thus, adding to its innovations in service providing among the wide range of clientele. Its IT supports competent procurement of services (e.g. bookings and ticketing) in e-marketing or online aspect. After establishing its website in January 2000, it became one of the busiest sites in the country with 14 million impressions a month. The booking in their web accounts have increased to 94% which has probably has something to do with opening another 26 routes. In year 2003, the company is characterized by rapid expansion and the start the year by announcing that the company has ordered an additional 100 new Boeing 737-800 series aircraft to facilitate the rapid European growth plans. The company is named as the most popular airline on the web i n 2004 by Google. The company has also passed out British Airways to become the UKs favorite airline in United Kingdom and throughout Europe. In sum, Ryanairs strengths rest on the companys commitment to low fares, deep-seated management, and willingness to address managerial challenges and marketing trends (e.g. competition, expansion, and IT solutions). Weaknesses Despite of the increase of passengers, the company is not so good in managing cost that the company has lose its money. At the moment, there have been urgent and deliberate mechanisms that were implemented to address such weakness. Such cost reduction strategy relies on five main aspects like fleet commonality, contracting out services, airport charges and route policies, managed staff costs and productivity and managed marketing costs. Ryanair, in spite of its strategies has other problems that serve as weaknesses too. One of the problems is in terms of handling customers or target market. Reports say that Ryanair accumulates hidden taxes and other fees, restricted customer services, and deceiving advertisements. In addition, another problem is assuring quality service. According to the result of poll conducted by BBC involving air travelers in 2003, 56 percent of respondents claimed that the airline caused them the biggest headaches in terms of services and customers. Also, in 2007 Irelands Commission for Aviation Regulation recorded a total of 60 percent of all complaints accumulated by the commission. There has been significant number of bad publicity for the company, thus, creating a negative impression to the airline brand. The company is faced with different unsolved issues because of lack of strategic decision making in several areas of human resources particularly in relation to trade union policies. Opportunities With the management system of the company and the strengths that it has, Ryanair has bigger opportunities to still dominate and catch up with the competition in the European airline industry in terms of providing more quality service standard and at the same time preserving it low-cost no-frills strategy to its clients or even have an opportunity to be the number one airline company in the whole region after its eventual application of its proposed plans in the future. Another opportunity that can be attached to the company is it would gain more customers if they would be able to determine the latest trends in airline management and marketing to meet the demands of their target market. The continuous initiatives of the company in diversification of its revenue resources also open new opportunities to make the business become stronger to outgrow all its rival companies. Such opportunities will include e-business development by strategic alliances as well as suppliers, leveraging the c ompanys investment in the World Class Customer Satisfaction Systems, and other business opportunities in both non-core and core areas. Threats Operating in the most competitive marketplace especially European airline industry, Ryanair is faced with the inevitable threat of stiff competition. For a company to succeed in global competition there is a continuous plan to develop new products with higher quality than its competitors. New product and new business development must be highly effective and efficient, however that alone will not ensure its competitiveness. The expansion of its operations to other areas means adjusting to the trade policies and political problems of the locality. The dynamic needs and demands of customers served to be a challenge to the management. Furthermore, consumer behaviour and satisfaction with regards to the product/service procurement is also a risk. If the company will continue to be a vertically integrated corporation, the company may fail in terms of management ability. The division of the company may tend to have internal complexity. Additionally, fast paced technological advancement may be a threat to Ryanair as a whole. In terms of the competitors, the company should be able to provide unique and more technologically advanced services to be able to survive in the competition in the world airline industry. Future Strategy and Recommendations Mergers and Acquisitions Mergers and acquisitions have become one of the most important corporate-level strategies in the new millennium. Merger and acquisition strategies are important to firm growth and success in the 21st century. As Ryanair continues to grow it is expected that the company will acquire other companies such as Buzz, in order to improve its capabilities and acquire more competitive advantage. Strategic Human Resource Management Ryanair, in its commitment to low-cost airfare have sacrificed its processes and services. The human resources of the company are not seen as a potential source of competitive advantage. The company do not seem to value its people. There is a growing belief that a companys human resources is the most important source of competitive advantage. Human resources or the companys people are one source of sustainable competitive advantage. In a fast-changing environment where technological innovations and other strategies can be copied, it is the human resources that bring a sustainable competitive advantage. Marketing Plan Strategies Ryanair should has a detailed plan for its strategic moves in the market and be able to provide good customer services to the customers like by having discounted flights and value promotion to keep the competitive advantage at a stable mode within its competitors and will need to focus more on the core competencies that allow Ryanair to practically and wisely designs suitable airline operations within the bracket of their marketing network services in a market standard-based perspective. Ryanair need to be goal oriented and must not stop to rejuvenate and change their marketing plan strategies from time to time in order to re-invent the performance process upon the upgrading of rules and regulations mandated by the state. Ryanair is to overcome the lack of product differentiation and increase it that will have the ability to revive revenue generation. Operational Effectiveness It is then recommended that Ryanair should outsources as many non-core functions as possible that may abandon peripheral services such as catering or ground handling services and can be required to perform such activities as external specialist companies defined to be independent profit centers. Recommendation Based on above analysis, it is recommended that Ryanair consider the expansion in to haul markets specially the transatlantic routes which accounts for more than 60% of worlds air travel. By moving in to this new market with its low fare strategy coupled with added service options the company can utilize its existing business with introducing complementary goods and services via its web site its also recommended as this will allow the company to further reduce its cost base per unit of customer.

Private Schools vs. Public Schools :: Private Schools vs. Public Schools

The first position of chapter three is supportive of private schools. This position feels that private schools prevent the public schools from having a total monopoly over education by offering the community an alternative choice. This choice also produces competition with public schools for student enrollment. This position views public schools as something a student must accept as the only option if his or her parents can not afford a private school education. This is an obvious short coming to private schools, since they do not operate on the taxpayers' funds. However, some private schools do provide scholarships to poorer families. However, one distinct advantage of private schools is their abilities to satisfy their students' special needs. A military academy, for example, provides the strict discipline that some students need. Basically, a private school works for the students' desires, while a public school demands that its students work for their designated needs. The intellectual climate at a private school is more academically oriented than public schools. Private education provides students with a broader education that accepts diversity. Public education, however, does not have as much diversity due to strict public control that tries to avoid offending others. Private schools are considered to be more experimental because they try and accept new ideas faster. The American public generally seems to support private education, according to this position.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second position of chapter three favors public schools. This position feels that private schools are an unnecessary burden and expense to the public. Private schools have the tendency to tarnish the image and reputations of good public schools. Magnet, or theme-oriented, schools are public schools that provide various, specific programs of study for their students to choose from. An example of a magnet school is the dance school on the television program Fame. Despite some criticism, public schools are still a strong force in America. This is in part because public schools bring together different races into one school building. Private schools are intended for the wealthy, according to this position. The isolation created by a wealthy-only atmosphere prevents students from being exposed to reality. A controversial topic regarding private schools is that parents can obtain vouchers to send their children there. This is another free ride for the wealthy, the very people who do not need governmental assistance. Overall, this position views private schools as privilege available and dedicated to the wealthy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My personal opinion of chapter three favors private education. Despite the fact that I attended a public school, I feel that private schools have as much right to exist and operate as do public schools.